I've heard parents say it over and over again but now I really understand. Time flies when you have kids. It's so hard to believe that Olivia was born six months ago today. I think in the past few weeks she's especially made great strides in figuring out this thing called life. At the same time, we've come a long way figuring out our baby girl.
Though Olivia still weebles and wobbles a bit, she can now sit up on her own. She's so close to crawling that she's nearly running. She does everything she can to move around and can take a few knee steps but hasn't quite mastered straight crawling. She does this thing where she rocks and rocks on her hands and knees so fast she looks like she's about to take off like a rocket. It makes Mommy and Daddy laugh every time which ultimately cracks her up, too. Sometimes we think she will be walking before crawling. She's already trying to stand up and can walk quite well if you hold her hands. She seems tickled by the prospect.
Olivia's smile has changed as well. It's no longer a toothless grin. She has two teeth! They're in the middle of her bottom gums. A few Fridays ago, I discovered her first one popping through and by Sunday another one was cutting right next to it. They were hard to see at first but they are there plain as day now. I'm happy to report, the teething process has gone pretty smoothly so far, too. She hasn't seemed to fuss about it. She enjoys using her new teeth on just about anything, including my chin which she has playfully used as a chew toy. Baby O loves to run her tongue over her new teeth. She loves to hide them under her tongue, making it difficult at times for Mommy and Daddy to check their progress. And she LOVES having her teeth brushed. For some reason, she finds it amusing and starts giggling before she starts chewing on the rubber, slip-on toothbrush.
She is such a little person now. Her personality is shining through. Olivia is funny. She knows how to make you laugh and she thrives on it. She smiles one of her several kinds of smiles nearly all the time. She is one HAPPY baby girl. She gets so ecstatic when she sees us that if she wasn't wearing a diaper, I'm certain we'd be in trouble. Her little legs and arms, pump so hard, her mouth opens wide, she squeals and won't stop moving until you give her a giant squeeze. But she's only still for a quick snuggle because this little baby can't sit still. Much like her parents, she's a baby on the go. It's so difficult to picture that only a few months ago, she did little more than sleep, poop and eat. She's still doing plenty of all that, too, but there's so much more to her now.
She's become quite the good eater. Her favorite foods are green, followed by orange. She has a big taste for avocado, sweet peas, green beans and sweet potatoes but so far she's hasn't been a big fan of fruit. She has tried pears, apples and prunes. Surprise, surprise, prunes seem to be lacking luster. And she's VERY interested in everything Mommy and Daddy are eating.
She also has a new-found love of the raspberry and I'm not talking the food. Sure, since she was merely weeks old she'd do a raspberry or two - perhaps accidentally - but now she's purposely obsessed with them. In fact, I'd say she has mastered the art of the raspberry. That's OK with me. It's cute coming from a baby, especially this one.
Happy Six-Month Birthday, Baby Girl. You are the light of our life and give us great joy each day. We hope we continue to keep that gorgeous smile on that adorable face. We hope to always hear you giggling. And we hope your zest for life blossoms as you do with each passing day. We just pray the days slow down so we can enjoy you even longer. The first six months of your life have gone by in a flash.
